Alabama funds weren’t appropriated for summer meal program

The Department of Human Resources commissioner said Alabama did not accept funding for a summer meal program because it was too late to request funding in the budget.

Alabama is one of 15 states that will not participate in the program. Commissioner Nancy Buckner said at the department’s board meeting Thursday that it was not because the state was “philosophically opposed” to it, after some Republican-led states cited opposition to “welfare” in rejecting the federal funds.

“I’ve told (Gov. Kay Ivey) we can’t do it,” Buckner said. “We don’t have the money to pay that admin costs. And (Alabama Superintendent Eric) Mackey has told me he doesn’t have it to do his part of it either.”